The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-12-25
u WONDERLAND.
A Pen Picture by a
Utah Artist.
A DAY WITH NATURE.
4 Trip to the Head Of the
Great Fall
In YELLOWSTONE CANYON.
Gorgeous scsuos-POint Lookout
Grandeur and SublimitT-POmp
and Magnifcsnoe.
A Trip to the Head Of the
Great Fall.
In YELLOWSTONE CANYON
Gorgeous scsnes-POint lookout
Grandeur and SubIimitY-POmp
and Magniicsnoe.
BY ALFRED LAMBoUREE.
Written for The CHRISTMAS HERALD.


Written for The CHRISTMAS HERALD.
On a bright sunshiny afternoon in
the month of September, 1884. the
writer, in company with his friend, Mr.
Q. z. Savage, found himself in the
neighborhood of the Yellowstone
Canyon, in the Yellowstone National
Park. We had left the fire Hole
Basin on the morning of the same day,
and after most interesting climb over
the tops of the Crater Hills stood for
the first time on the banks of the yell
Iowstone River. Looking ahead it
seemed scarcely possible that we were
approaching so near the Grand Canyon.
In the landscape there was really moth
ing to indicate the nearness of the pro-
found gulf Soberly the river flowed
onward before US, the banks sloping
away from its edge at gentle curry
AZURE. Constantly we expected to see
ahead the peaks and heights, forgetful
OF the main fact that makes the canyon
50 different from almost all others,
that instead of the mountains grow
ing higher as we proceed, it is
the canyon that grows even deeper
beneath. In another half mile the river
began to fret and plunge, disturbed by
the Lodges of bssalt which cross its
way. Coming to the foot of hill and
climbing around it, we reached grassy
glade surrounded by tall spindling
pines. Passing along to its further edge
we became sensible of tremor of the
ground, while our ears were saluted by
a low but heavy roar. announcing the
close proximity of the Upper Fall.
Here was the place to pitch our
camp, and we, while the driver attended
to that duty, hastened away along the
narrow foot trail, eager 10 look upon
the canyons wonders.
Away from the road, the trail for the
most part goes winding along level
through the woods, but occasionally it
climbs up some steep activity or dips
into the bed OF stream. Thick along
the canyon grow the spindling pines
though at such places where they can
drink the moisture from some
side scream or crowd down toward
the river bank, they attain more
stately and noble proportions. By
q group OF these latter, the first fall
is hidden from sight. From the trail
we hear its muff1sd roar, bat we must
descend the rocks, would We look on
its face; even then we see but scene of
savage ildness. Black threatening
rocks and overhanging pines, ragged and
sombre, with the fall bursting over the
cliff in such masses of foam that it can
be compared to nothing but an ava
lanche of snow. How different from
what we had expected to see. We had
looked for brightness, lightness, color
aud grace, but we were not vet looking
On that which has given q name to the
Yellowstone Canyon.
ITO the Head of the Great Fall" so
said gnide-board at the top of a steep
side trail, and the seven simple words
first made me realize that was at the
Yellowstone Canyon. With the full
ness of the conviction came an almost
feverish state of excitement. Ny com
panion shared my enthusiasm, so we
ran rather than walked down the steep
trail. And what a stupendous scene
it was when it opened out
suddenly to viewI A great void
in the earth, mighty chasm, high
rocky walls, with a tumultuous river
rushing along at their base. It was
enough to take ones breath away to
look to the heights, to the depths. AS
high above US as we had descended by
the trail stood the jagged heights, while
the river had become but blue Wav-
ing ribbon, so far had it suddenly fell.
Seen by the garish light of MONDAY,
this scene shows simply for what it is
merely trench cut through the ashes
of long e1tinguished fires; but touched
by the glamor of evening light, the
piles OF crumbling lime, the decompos-
ing sulphur, stood transmitted into
towers OF marble and spires of amber.
Taking one hasty look over the brink
OF the fall, sight and a sensation
never to be forgotten, we hurried back
again to the main trail. In our haste
tosecure commanding position, for a
front view of the basin and fall, the
path leading to Point l. okout es-
capped our notice, so that we first
reached place looking down upon the
spires and pinnscles of the Painted
Gorge, farther down the stream. This,
however, is one of the most gorgeous
scenes in the lower half of the CANYON.
In the lower half, l say, because in the
scenery of the Yellowstone Canyon
there are two separate and distinct
types OF character. At first it resem-
bles stern and gloomy Puritan, GRID
Ing himself IN gar6 of irou-gray and
SaddeAed green, disdsining all adorn-
ment OF bis rugged simplicity. But
midway in its course a sudden change
takes place; IT'S Gusterity is thrown to
the winds. and as If in haste to make
up for lost chances, it at once raYels in
a scenic display of pomp and magnif-
ceRce. Becoming a very proaigate in
excuses. it clothes itself in sumptuous
9TH g lavish with scarlet and cad
'mium Or in other words, instead of
the basaltic rocks. gloomy and sombre,
which hang over its upper half, the
lower is walled in between cliffs, won
drous in forms and colors: walls on
which the forces of nature, frost, heat,
.disntegra ION have strangely iahored